Foreign Policy
- US, EU condemn detention of journalists in Turkey
- Turkish President Erdoğan slams EU over remarks on media raid
- Turkey hosts first meeting with G-20 representatives, business leaders
- ‘UN does not want Turkey’s democratic gains to backslide’
- European Parliament rapporteur calls on Turkey for more alignment on foreign policy
Economy and Energy
- Turkey on threshold of becoming a high-income economy, but challenges remain: World Bank
- September unemployment hits 10.5 pct, highest since February 2011
- Turkish lira hits 11-month low as media raid jars nerves
Domestic Politics
- In Push Against Muslim Cleric, Turkey Detains Police Officers and Journalists
- Turkish gov’t, HDP deny autonomy in negotiations in Kurdish peace process
- Turkish President Erdogan Seeks to Reshape Secular Education
Foreign Policy
US, EU condemn detention of journalists in Turkey
The United States expressed concern Dec. 14 over the detentions in Turkey of more than two dozen media figures. Turkish police raids on media outlets are incompatible with media freedom and run counter to European values, the European Union said in an unusually strongly worded statement on Dec. 15.
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Hurriyet Daily News, December 15, 2014, US, EU condemn detention of journalists in Turkey
Turkish President Erdoğan slams EU over remarks on media raid
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has slammed the European Union for its “impetuous” criticism of an ongoing police operation that has resulted in the high-profile detention of members of the media and police officers.
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Hurriyet Daily News, December 15, 2014, Turkish President Erdoğan slams EU over remarks on media raid
Turkey hosts first meeting with G-20 representatives, business leaders
Turkey hosted meetings with representatives of G-20 countries and the inaugural meeting of the B-20, the business branch of the G-20, on Dec. 15, the first such set of meetings since it became president of the G-20 at the start of the month.
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Hurriyet Daily News, December 15, 2014, Turkey hosts first meeting with G-20 representatives, business leaders
TUSIAD President Haluk Dinçer’s Remarks at the B20 Launch Meeting
The B20 Turkey Launch Meeting was held in Istanbul on December 15, bringing the global and Turkish business communities together. TUSIAD President Haluk Dinçer, in his remarks, stressed that the B20 platform is a significant opportunity for business leaders to influence global decision-makers in order to maintain a global agenda that is favorable to international business and trade.
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TUSIAD, December 15, 2014, TUSIAD President Haluk Dinçer’s Remarks at the B20 Launch Meeting
‘UN does not want Turkey’s democratic gains to backslide’
Turkey has made a lot of progress over the last 10 years in terms of democratization, according to the UN’s envoy to the country. ‘The last year-and-a-half has been more challenging, but we hope the overall gains will be consolidated. We don’t want to see any backsliding,’ says Kamal Malhotra.
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Hurriyet Daily News, December 15, 2014, ‘UN does not want Turkey’s democratic gains to backslide’
European Parliament rapporteur calls on Turkey for more alignment on foreign policy
The European Parliament’s new rapporteur for Turkey has urged the country to intensify cooperation on foreign policy coordination and cooperation, calling on it to support the European Union’s sanctions on Russia.
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Hurriyet Daily News, December 11, 2014, European Parliament rapporteur calls on Turkey for more alignment on foreign policy
Economy and Energy
Turkey on threshold of becoming a high-income economy, but challenges remain: World Bank
Steady growth over recent decades has brought Turkey to the threshold of becoming a high-income economy, prosperity has been broadly shared across income groups, and the size of the middle-class has doubled, according to a new World Bank report.
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Hurriyet Daily News, December 11, 2014, Turkey on threshold of becoming a high-income economy, but challenges remain: World Bank
September unemployment hits 10.5 pct, highest since February 2011
Turkey’s unemployment rate has increased to 10.5 percent in the three month period between August and October, compared with the 10.1 percent between July and September, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) said Dec. 15.
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Hurriyet Daily News, December 15, 2014, September unemployment hits 10.5 pct, highest since February 2011
Turkish lira hits 11-month low as media raid jars nerves
The Turkish Lira has seen another tumble after a weekend raid by police on media outlets. The currency has weakened 0.8 percent to 2.317 to the dollar, which is its weakest since January when it hit an all-time low of 2.39.
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Hurriyet Daily News, December 15, 2014, Turkish lira hits 11-month low as media raid jars nerves
Domestic Politics
In Push Against Muslim Cleric, Turkey Detains Police Officers and Journalists
The Turkish police detained at least 24 police officers, journalists and media workers in raids on Sunday morning, days after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signaled a new campaign against supporters of an influential Muslim cleric whom he has accused of attempting to overthrow his government.
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New York Times, December 14, 2015, In Push Against Muslim Cleric, Turkey Detains Police Officers and Journalists
Turkish gov’t, HDP deny autonomy in negotiations in Kurdish peace process
In strongly-worded remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Yalçın Akdoğan has ruled out any discussion with the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) on prospects of “autonomy” as part of the peace process, while a leading deputy of the HDP who indicated the presence of such a discussion has also denied this claim.
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Hurriyet Daily News, December 11, 2014, Turkish gov’t, HDP deny autonomy in negotiations in Kurdish peace process
Turkish President Erdogan Seeks to Reshape Secular Education
Political divisions here are extending into the classroom as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, inspired by the country’s Ottoman past, vows to reshape a secular education system.
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Wall Street Journal, December 14, 2014, Turkish President Erdogan Seeks to Reshape Secular Education